rehmwa

I've learned by watching intelligent conversations don't start with "hey, if we take in extra in a good year we'll have to spend $500 for a hammer and deal with wildly growing government" maybe instead of going to the 'gee whiz I'm clever' to start with, how about skipping to the real issue - that congress is crooked enough to do exactly what you said..... and that's a much bigger issue to solve than to try and be clever and try to figure out how to constrain the problem statement to get around that real issue. Trying to define the legislation is a tacit acknowledgment that we're helpless to fix the real issue. is that deep enough ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

eye doen noe, hoo du yu thenk iz ultimatley responcible? ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

How about instead of a balanced budget amendment, a spending cap indexed to inflation? This way during bubble years the extra could be used for paying down the debt. the fact that you even have to float such an amazingly common sense item out to avoid the total blind obtuseness of the Billvon scenario is pretty clear cut evidence that we are all screwed to semantically constrained idiocy. ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

he's wrong, they spend $75,000 this year, they had planned to spend $83,000 next year and propose BIG cuts to reduce it to $81,000 next year ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

forcing the government to cut spending to match income until we are balanced to the point of worrying about having too much income is 'dumber'.......... ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

yeah - if we can achieve the day when we don't have enough programs to suck up the income - ........ that would be a huge problem. we wouldn't do anything silly like pay down the principle or reduce the tax burden or anything like that.... ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

where are we reducing actual spending such that the total net dollars comes down? (not the rate of increase, the actual dollars) I know congressmen and the pres like to say "We cut a Billion dollars in the A Program" but they never mention that to get that agreement they had to increase the B and C programs by 2 Billion ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

So, we have record revenues We have a new record predicted And we have both? I tend to agree with them. As long as we want all these programs, the bottom line is out to lunch. And, "revenue increase" does not directly mean "tax increase" it could be trade balance, higher GNP, etc etc etc.... I worry more about the DD's of the world that ONLY think more taxes is the solution (unfortunately, that's congress also - but for different reasons). The real problem is today's politics. - pres complains that we need to "compromise" on spending cuts and more taxes - ok - we 'compromise' ---we get tax increases ---the so called 'spending cuts' were vague promises to reduce the rate of increase over the next ten years, but 'not right now' Withing DAYS - they are calling for MORE taxes - the house holds out for spending decreases (real this time) - pres complains that we need to "compromise" on spending cuts and more taxes vicious cycle that results in only one the needed two actions I don't see any solution that doesn't involve the government demonstrating they are absolutely committed to real and HUGE spending cuts. Until then, just taking more money from the people doesn't do anything but make the situation even worse. what I really hate - is the "the military spends so much" crowd. They want to make it a "cut the military vs cut anything else" argument. But the problem is there is no one on the OTHER side of their strawman. Everyone serious about cutting WANTS to cut military, but they also recognize that everything else needs to cut too. You can't get there by just demonizing a single (no matter how large) program set. you can't get ther by just demonizing a single citizen demographic either. ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

The huge Spending problem has created a revenue problem. Too bad congress and the president only work the one side. ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

Absolutely agreed. But I doubt they meet and scheme together. They've just both carved out their own set of suckers. I think the antipathy across the aisle is real, not feigned - at the same time, I'm certain they both recognize that the status quo keeps them in power. ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

S&P over 1,500 GDP still positive. But fascinating that you manage to find one snippet that makes Bush's record look less bad. it looks good today I thought. apparently news of the sequester, or any kind of spending slow downs, makes the public happy?? ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

well, it is Speaker's Corner - Welcome to the pit!!! ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

I know this started by you thinking someone was telling you you had to have guns for protection - I think that was a mis read, but no one likes to be told what to do. But here are a few snippets from your posts, maybe you can see how people got rubbed the wrong way - they pretty much stereotype gun owners, ignore the posts by owners, and advocate an outside agency 'controlling' how your private citizens are ALLOWED to own a simple piece of property. It's certainly a problem with misreading and the issues with the written word. But if you truly don't want to restrict the rights of citizens (in any country) then you have a lot of conflict between your intent and your statements. Rushmc: I don't mean to offend you but fear seems to take a lot of place in your life. (Belittles gun owners as scared - that the ONLY reason to have a gun is fear, not appreciation of the item, nostalgia, fun, etc.) No fear of guns, no need for guns. (Belittles gun owners as scared again.) I feel safer knowing that "I want one" is not a good enough reason to let someone have a handgun or an assault riffle. ("Let Someone" indicates you think government should decide instead of the individual for themself) But don't you dare tell us Canadians that we need guns for self-defense. That is YOUR opinion and it doesn't belong in MY country. ("My Country" I think a lot of fellwo Canadians would twitch at that. I doubt anyone directly told you that you must have guns either, just that registration has resulted in taking them away from those that individually wished to keep them - or at least a very hostile local environment for a legal owner) angry idiots....... .humans are basically lazy (I have no additional comment here. it's a general slam on people) individuals do possess handguns but as long as they only use them at the range, I couldn't care less.....I never did or say anything to take away anyone's rights. (-----As long as they only use them like I say, but I don't want to take away rights---- do you see the conflict in this statement and what is REALLY being said?) that's all ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

(Gap series) What book's that? Always looking for some good scifi. Donaldson wrote three series: Mordant's Need, all the "Thomas Convenant" stories, and the Gap Series - I'd recommend all three really though they all come at you in different ways. (I'd let my daughter read Mordant at even junior high, Covenant I'd recommend to over 16, Gap? Grownups, it might be a bit lost on kids). the Gap Cycle is the most grown up of the stories. He's a very decent writer and can work in a lot of subtext in the plots and subplots. He tends towards a theme of the main character being irrelevant and powerless and then coming to terms that they are powerful and effective. he loads up on personal growth as overcoming futility and despair. Gap is a bit more than that too as the three main characters trade off roles (hero, victim, villian) throughout the series, lots of political background. Also, Mordant and Covenant are more of a fantasy setting, while Gap is sci fi. They all read best if you like a bit of complexity and character building. It's 5 books. the first is rather short. From Wiki, it's pretty accurate. It brings me down to read, but it's still in my favorite three of all series (though perhaps the Gunslinger series from Stephen King 7 or 8 books, or the Pleiocene Exile FULL series from Julian May I think 9 or 10 books?) from Wiki The Gap Cycle A science fiction epic set in a future where humans have pushed far out into space in the attempt to replace depleted resources, The Gap Cycle follows two concurrent story arcs. The first concerns an ensign in the United Mining Companies Police (UMCP), Morn Hyland, who is attempting simply to stay alive after being captured by a marauder named Angus Thermopyle. The second follows the Byzantine political maneuvering of the head of the UMCP, Warden Dios, as he attempts to thwart the machinations of his boss, Holt Fasner, who is the CEO of United Mining Companies (UMC) and the most powerful man in human space. Each of the epics takes place against the backdrop of a threat to human survival itself from an alien species called the Amnion who use genetic mutation as a way to assimilate and overcome. Trade in raw materials (mostly ores) is carried out with the Amnion in exchange for technology, by both the UMC and illegals. Some illegals trade in Amnion territorial space, referred to as "forbidden space", out of bounds to the UMCP by treaty. Donaldson wrote the series in part to be a reworking of Wagner's Ring Cycle. The "Gap" of the title refers to the faster-than-light drives used by the space vessels in order to cross great distances, an instantaneous occurrence similar to the notion of "folding" space. The Gap series The Gap into Conflict: The Real Story (1991) The Gap into Vision: Forbidden Knowledge (1991) The Gap into Power: A Dark and Hungry God Arises (1993) The Gap into Madness: Chaos and Order (1994) The Gap into Ruin: This Day All Gods Die (1996) The 2008 reprinting of the series combines The Real Story and Forbidden Knowledge into a single volume. According to Donaldson's website, this was done at his request. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gap_Cycle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saga_of_Pliocene_Exile http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_King/The_Gunslinger ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

Gap is one of the best - although Donaldson seems a bit too impressed with his own vocabulary at times. Don't read it if you are in any way in low mood - unless you want to explore that a bit. ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

or how many states there are or how to spell potato wait - she probably doesn't know either one ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

Donaldson's "Gap" series? One of the best, and so disturbing, sci fi series ever he really though out of the box on that one ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

or....we now know just how much money is being sent overseas ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

seems like he had pretty liberal ideas for that era ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

and she can bury the batteries in her back yard when they burn out ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

absolutely, her plight is already bad enough since she had to subsidize her neighbor's Prius and solar panels. (nice though, you could write for the DNC - same message, same attitude, same open mindedness) ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

I'd again generalize this to the whole problem with incentives and tax breaks as a means to try to force social behavior. It's a zero sum game, and until we are able effectively cut SPENDING, any so called "break" or grant just means someone else has to pay for those services that the smug Prius driver just avoided paying for (or the rich guy that installed solar panels, or that bank you want to keep open, or that poor guy you want to help buy a house, etc etc etc.) In the long run, it just drives UP the cost and delays the onset of affordability of those very things that the government is pretending to 'encourage'. ((though we all know it's just a show to garner votes from the fanatics and slow witted)) government is like golf - aim left and the ball curves right; aim right and it curves left; relax and don't force it and things work out sooner ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

yeah, imagine the commuting costs for the call in center staff from India ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

just another blame game comment there really everybody has a stake in the game - whether it's personal assets, benefits, favored political status, 'conveniences' as you say or something more substantial, etc etc etc. we're way beyond just giving up 'conveniences' for a few, it'll be substantial for all to dig out of the hole it's not really the money that has the influence on the politicians, they already have money - it's power, and votes as well, and some might even has some type of idealism and good intentions - I doubt it, but anything is possible ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

I'm not sure if those characterizations are productive in any way, and I suspect only the most childish take humor and satisfaction out of it. But since we're wallowing in stupidity, let's do it up right (posted before) ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants